High Atlas · Morocco
Tizi n'Tichka
N9Zerkten to Agouim
The highest major mountain pass in North Africa, the N9 climbs to 2,205 m through the High Atlas on a relentless procession of switchbacks before revealing a vast desert panorama on the descent.
The road tightens at Zerkten into a corridor of red-ochre cliffs and terraced Berber villages, grinding through hundreds of turns to crest the pass at 2,205 m. The descent south unravels into desert-like terrain, green to ochre to rust, past the ancient kasbah of Telouet, confirming the road’s role as a historic trade gateway before the drop toward the Ouarzazate plain.
Scenery
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Tizi n’Tichka on the map34.0 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 15Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%1,246.9 – 2,217.1 mPoints of interest1 stop
- Tizi n’TichkaViewpoint19 mi in
Hazards
- Hundreds of switchbacks
- No crash barriers on exposed sections
- Heavy truck traffic
- Snow and ice November to March
- No road lighting
- Speed traps
Sources
“It's said to be one of the nation's most dramatic and hair-raising drives.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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